CLEARFIELD – Thursday night Clearfield Borough Council gave approval for an engineering study to be done for a proposed whitewater recreation park.
Clearly Ahead Development has proposed the removal of Clearfield’s Raftmen’s Memorial Timber Dam and the creation of a whitewater recreation park in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
Thursday night council voted to authorize its solicitor to formulate an agreement with the Clearfield Revitalization Corp. solicitor to move forward with the engineering study with no financial obligation to the borough or further action beyond the study without further discussion.
CRC’s board of directors has already authorized the CRC to spearhead pursuit of grant opportunities as well as private donation fundraising efforts.
Consequentially, Clearfield Borough will not be responsible for the $255,000 required for the engineering study so it may keep its focus on funding other borough initiatives.
If the project moves forward and reaches completion, ongoing maintenance and insurance costs would still be the responsibility of the borough, as the costs for the current low-head dam are presently.
The project has been proposed to proactively find a solution to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s initiative to remove low-head dams.
Pennsylvania has been a leader in low-head dam removals for 14 years in a row. Seventy-five percent of its 3,000 dams are mostly low-head dams.
Low-head dams are reportedly more dangerous for boating, paddling, tubing and swimming, and have been nicknamed “drowning machines” due to their highly-dangerous, circular currents.
Artificially-designed, in-water recreation parks are substantially safer than low-head dams and also safe for boaters, paddlers, tubing, swimming, fishing and onlookers.
In the event swift-water training becomes necessary, members of a local paddling group—Friends of Moshannon Creek—have offered to provide and or cover costs for swift-water rescue training for local firefighters and first responders.
Ahead of council’s vote Thursday night, Main Street Manager Sue Diehl spoke of the significant support that the proposed project has received since its original presentation to council last November.
She said the project, if completed, would allow the town’s most beautiful asset—the West Branch of the Susquehanna River—to become an even greater asset.
It’s only a matter of time before the borough must remove the low-head dam and whether that happens in one, two or three years—that’s the unknown, said Diehl.
But, what is known, she said, is that council has been presented with a solution—a proactive solution—that not only addresses the inevitable, but also seizes an opportunity to duplicate what has been a proven economic and tourism driver in other small towns.
Diehl reminded council that it’s received a number of letters of support from local residents, business owners and leaders who see the proposed whitewater recreation park as an opportunity for Clearfield to grow.
“It will improve the health of our river, water fowl, [wildlife] and possibly increase fish species,” she said. “Allowing this opportunity to pass us by would be a mistake.”
Diehl said the CRC has taken note of some very valid concerns and has presented all the information it’s gathered up until this point, noting the engineering study would provide additional answers—specifically like how the proposed project would affect current river levels.
She asked council to cast a vote that has the future of Clearfield in mind.
Clearly Ahead Chief Executive Officer Rob Swales said he recently returned from Colorado where he visited six public whitewater recreation parks, and has shared numerous photos/videos of each on social media.
Swales encouraged council members and community members to take time to view them.
He said Clearly Ahead and the CRC have highlighted the pros—how these parks grow/strengthen communities and also lift community spirit—and have also noted the concerns.
He assured that they wanted everyone—the borough and the greater community—to all be comfortable and happy before anything was done to significantly alter the river and community.
“That’s why we have professional engineers certified to do these types of studies for us,” said Swales, inviting the community to become more engaged so they can have even more strategic meetings with engineers as plans for the proposed project continue to develop.
Resident Jim Collins spoke of the dam’s importance to the Clearfield community, noting he wasn’t opposed to the river project but isn’t in favor of its proposed location.
“I want the park, and think it would be great for our area,” he said, adding he would like for it to be constructed in another spot downstream that wouldn’t require removal of the dam.
“This is too big of a decision to not have a 100 percent commitment.”
Local Engineer Rich Hughes also spoke of the current dam structure, and how it was done in a simple form for an easy flow of water.
He went on to raise a potential issue that could arise in the winter months like every six or seven years when there’s potential for an ice event.
Hughes said ice up to two inches thick wouldn’t cause any issues, but if it would be four-inches thick, it’s going to collect at the edges of the area that makes the rapids.
“You have that build up enough, it could be catastrophic.”
Hughes asked Clearly Ahead and the CRC to have the engineers come visit in-person, present their concept and prove how it would work.